Bee

Bee County

Updated on: November 14, 2021
Coordinates
28° 25' 12" N, 97° 44' 24" W (28.42, -97.74)
State
Texas
Region
South
County Seat:
Beeville
Year Organized:
1857
Total Square Miles:
880.334
880 square miles (2,300 km2) land
0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) water
Population:
32563 (2017)
Population: 32,750 est. (2016) 31,861 (2010)
Persons/Square Mile:
37
Bee County Website
http://www.co.bee.tx.us/

Contiguous Counties

Karnes (N)
Goliad (NE)
Refugio (E)
San Patricio (SE)
Live Oak (W)

County structure

Government Type:
County
Authority:
Dillon's Rule
Legislative Body:
Commisioners Court
Size of Legislative Body:
5

Demographics

2018 Population:
32563
25 to 64 Years of Age:
55.32%
65 Years of Age and Older:
12.31%

Economy, 2018

Gross Domestic Product (GDP):
$839.2 M
Labor Force:
9,977
Unemployment Rate:
5.10%

County Contact

111 S. Saint Mary's Street
Courthouse
Beeville, TX, 78102-5619

http://www.co.bee.tx.us

Bee County is found in South Texas. The County borders Goliad County to the Northeast, Karnes County to the North, Refugio County to the East, San Patricio County to the Southeast, Live Oak County to the West. It covers an area of 2279km2 with a population of 32565. The county seat is Beeville. 

History of Bee County 

Bee County was formed in December 1857. The County was named after Colonel Barnard Elliot Bee, who served in the Texas government. He was the Secretary of War under Sam Houston and the Secretary of State under Mirabeau B. Lamar. 

Bee county’s earliest settlers consisted of majorly Irish immigrants. During the late 1840s and early in the 1850s, Jacksonian expansionism influenced whites from South and North Carolina, Mississippi, and Louisiana to migrate and settle in Bee County.  

When Texas withdrew the Catholic church as the state’s religion, other Christian denominations started dominating the area.  

William Charles Stephenson designed Bee County’s courthouse. The courthouse was built in 1912 and cost $72,000. “Justice is Blind” on top of the courthouse was also Stephenson’s work.  

Bee County Sites and Events 

Racing events 

Bee County hosts several racing events in Beeville like STBR SCCA, Drift Corpus, and The Texas Mile. All the events are held at Chase Field. Also, the County’s chamber of commerce hosts community luncheons occasionally. The event occurs every Thursday of the month in the months between March to September. Residents take this as an opportunity to connect, share and learn.  

Shopping 

There are several places you could do your shopping in Bee County. There are different stores, including Walmart, Blue Ribbon Country Store, Bethune & Son, Dazzled Divas, Dewitt Poth & Son, and many more.  

Meals 

In Bee County, you can get a variety of foods from the different stores and restaurants around the County. Some stores include Dairy Queen, Domino’s Pizza, HEB, Kino’s BBQ, and Catering, Church’s Chicken, Sonic Drive-in, and Whataburger.   

Parks and Trails 

Major parks in the County include Peosta, Veteran’s park, Trevino park, Moore park, Carlos Reyes park, and Flournoy park. The parks are suitable for picnics and walking.   

Bee County has several bee statues around the region. The statues were made to fundraise for students doing CBC conducted by the Coastal Bend College Foundation. Once an individual or business purchased a bee, they could customize it, making each bee unique.  

The artists behind this initiative put a lot of work into the project. You can find an artist’s signature on the belly of each bee. 

Bee County also has other fun activities to take part in, like Geocaching and Rock Painting. Geocaching is a treasure hunting game where you look for containers hidden in specific locations.  

On the other hand, rock painting is a good way of bringing fun back to the world. Your artist skills don’t matter; you can paint anything that makes you happy. It doesn’t end at painting; you can hide your painting somewhere around the County for someone to find. You can also look for painted rocks from other people.  

Historic sites 

Bee County has a lot of historic sites and attractions like the Praeger building, which was constructed in 1906. The building was built as a second hardware store for Albert Praeger. In 2001, the building was renovated into the Joe Barnhart Bee County Library.  

There’s also the Commercial National Bank. The building was remodeled in the 1930s and later expanded in the 50s. The bank now goes by the name Prosperity Bank who manages and runs it now. There are other historical sites like Railroad, Glenwood cemetery, St. Joseph’s cemetery, Campo Santo, and many more.  

Texas Health Services 

The Texas Department of State Health Services focuses on improving the state of public health. The department aims to protect the health of residents in Bee County. It ensures that facilities, including hospitals, workplaces, and schools, have adequate health officials. The department works with different entities to improve the health sector in the County.  

Bee County Offices, Texas 

Bee County contains the following officials in office.  

The county judge is George(Trace) Morrill III. Robert Guerero is the director of community affairs, assisted by Crystal Longoria as the health inspector.  

Ray Gonzales (administrator), and Jesse Arredondo (superintendent), are in charge of road and administration. The court attorney is Micheal Knight. 

The constable office has four main constables: Johnny Sauceda, Precinct 1 Constable, Mickie Ochoa, Precinct 2 Constable, Stephen Phipps, Precinct 3 Constable, and Ronnie Olivarez, Precinct 4 Constable.  

Bee County auditor’s department officials include;  

  • April Cantu, the Auditor 
  • Patricia Alvarez, the Assistant Auditor 
  • Anna Chapa, the Revenue Auditor 
  • Cristina and Ben Ramirez the accounts payable Auditors 

County Clerk Offices 

The Bee County Clerk is Nickelle Gonzales. The Bee County Clerk’s office has existed since 1836. The office keeps records regarding Bee County court.  

Furthermore, the clerk notes vital statistics and issues certificates, including marriage, birth, and death records. They are also in charge of collecting fees and court fines, filing and storing criminal and civil court documents, and taking care of other minimal licenses.  

The Bee County clerk offices contain the Probate department, Criminal and Civil department. At the Bee County clerk’s office, services are offered on an appointment only. The offices are open 8 am to 5 pm Monday to Friday and are also open during lunch.  

Bee County Tax Collector/Assessor 

Michelle Matus, PCC, heads the Bee County collection. The office is in charge of calculating and collecting property tax for Bee County. They may collect taxes for schools, cities, and other taxing organizations. They facilitate the transfer of motor vehicle ownership and issue licenses.